What is Perusall?
Perusall is a social engagement platform that allows faculty and students to annotate text, podcasts, videos, images, or other materials in a collaborative environment. You can upload your own materials, or Perusall has a textbook system where students can get access codes for textbooks that will then be embedded into the platform for annotation and reflective exercises.
Why should I use Perusall?
Perusall can be used in a variety of ways, but most commonly faculty praise Perusall for encouraging students to be actively engaged in the reading process, rather than passively skimming through. Everything including the syllabus, assignment specifications, external readings, and the course textbook can now become a space for collaborative annotation and discussion. When students comment on or ask questions about particular passages, faculty members can get a clear sense of how well students are understanding the materials.
You can read more about how faculty members use Perusall at Bucknell by reviewing our slides: Friday Learning Series on social annotation and Perusall (April 8, 2022)
How do I get access to Perusall?
Perusall can be added to your Moodle course as an External Tool. Faculty and students then use that link to access the Perusall course, without needing a second sign-in.
How do I use free and openly licensed materials in Perusall?
We strongly recommend using free or open access materials in Perusall to give students the best and most equitable experience.
To add new materials to a course in Perusall:
- Log in to Perusall and enter the course you would like to add materials to.
- Click on the "Library" tab at the top of the page.
- Click on "Add content" and select the type of material that matches yours.
- To upload openly licensed materials (for example, an EPUB file of an open access textbook), select "Documents from my device."
- To upload your own files, select "Documents from Dropbox" or "Documents from my device" as appropriate.
How do I use a paid textbook in Perusall?
We have a campus license for Perusall, which means that students can purchase textbooks through the Bucknell Barnes & Noble bookstore for use in Perusall. They will receive an access code for the book to enter into Perusall that provides access to the digital version of the text to annotate.
If you are an instructor planning to use a paid textbook, please contact the bookstore so they can order the materials you need. Please let the bookstore know specifically that you plan to use an electronic text within Perusall. Once the text is ordered, students will be able to purchase access codes through the bookstore. If you have questions about requesting materials through the bookstore, please contact Rami Ghuma (rag037@bucknell.edu).
The cost of textbooks is set by the publisher, not the bookstore(s), so textbook access code costs are the same whether purchased through Perusall's internal store or through our bookstore. Please note that coordinating access through the Barnes & Noble bookstore allows students to use their financial aid to purchase their books.
Who do I contact for help with Perusall?
For assistance with using Perusall, contact Digital Pedagogy & Scholarship (dps@bucknell.edu).
For assistance with requesting paid textbooks through the bookstore for Perusall, contact Rami Ghuma (rag037@bucknell.edu).
What other resources are available for Perusall?
Find all of Perusall's support articles on the main Perusall Support page, and their "Getting Started for Instructors" document attached to this article.
Support Resources for Faculty
Support Resources for Students